While down at our horse barn this morning, I heard a new, but familiar bird call.  I ran outside just in time to see a male baltimore oriole singing in our locust tree (10 days earlier than last year).

In the afternoon when I was walking our dog, I heard and saw a catbird in the brush calling for a mate (2 weeks earlier than last year).

Yesterday the toads started singing constantly - all day and night.  This will last for a week to 10 days.  It is a preditable event every year (but a week earlier than last year).

This evening our puppy Coby came in the house looking distresed with foam oozing out of his mouth.  I quickly ran to the kitchen and filled our basting plunger with water and washed his mouth several times.  We then took him outside and rinsed his mouth out with the hose.  It seems he tried tasting a toad and got some of the toad poison in his mouth.  We called the vet immediately.  She said since we rinsed his mouth out right away, he probably would not have any further reaction.  Fortunately he is looking normal now.  That was a close call - if he had swallowed some or eaten the toad it could have been fatal.